RICHMOND, Va. (ABP) — Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond trustees have adopted a new business plan that calls for "orderly selling" of campus buildings and eventual relocation in order to broaden the seminary's academic mission beyond granting theology degrees to…
Baptist leader says 3/11 will be Japan’s 9/11
ATLANTA (ABP) — A Japanese Baptist leader predicted the March 11 earthquake and tsunami disaster would leave its mark on Japan the same way that America was changed after the terrorist attacks on 9/11. "3/11 will be etched on our…
Some foreign aid helps, others do more harm than good, experts assert
Even though the Green Bay Packers won this year’s Super Bowl 31-25, up to 100,000 individuals in developing countries are wearing new T-shirts erroneously labeling the losing Pittsburgh Steelers as NFL champions. For marketing purposes, the NFL preprinted memorabilia for…
‘Bad advocacy’ can do more harm than good, Baptist scholar insists
ATLANTA (ABP) — Celebrity-driven campaigns like Save Darfur and Invisible Children are popular, but in some cases, they do more harm than good, according to a Baptist scholar who specializes in African politics, conflict and international affairs. “Advocacy needs to…
Vestal predicts further downsizing at CBF
DECATUR, Ga. (ABP) — The head of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship predicted future budget cuts that for the first time would affect global-missions personnel for the 20-year-old movement spun off from the Southern Baptist Convention. The CBF Coordinating Council normally…
SBC’s Executive Committee inaugurates new president and CEO
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — Leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention gathered Feb. 21 to witness a new chapter in denominational life with the inauguration of Frank Page as president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee. Page, a former pastor…
Church membership trends unchanged
NEW YORK (ABP) — Pentecostals, Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses gained ground, mainline churches continued to decline and growth in the largest two denominations — Roman Catholics and Southern Baptists — remained stagnant, according to new statistics compiled by the National…
Churches view social networking as ministry tool
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP)—With the Internet closing in on television as Americans’ main source of national and international news, churches increasingly are viewing social-networking applications like Facebook as ministry tools. “Social networking tools have become an integral part of most people’s…
Morris Ashcraft dies, helped establish Baptist Seminary at Richmond
EVANSTON, Ill. (ABP) — Morris Ashcraft, a longtime seminary professor and administrator who after retiring helped establish Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, died Jan. 29 after a long illness. He was 88. An Arkansas native, Ashcraft taught five years at…